The Monta Ellis Situation: It’s not about Curry, it’s about the Warriors’ non-trade on draft night

I keep hearing this, more and more pointedly: Monta Ellis has no pressing issue with Stephen Curry, personally or professionally.

The problem, as it has been for many months, is between Ellis and his understandably skeptical view of team management, its tangled motivations, its odd behavior, and the Ellis grievance that is still alive over the suspension and $3M fine for his scooter accident.

-New info: GM Larry Riley actually flew out to Memphis not just once, but TWICE last off-season to talk things over with Ellis. We already knew about one of them; I just heard about the second Riley trip, this time with special assistant Calbert Cheaney in tow.

Oh, there are Don Nelson’s overall manipulations to factor into this, too. On most teams, that would be a huge deal. On the Warriors, a screwy coach who has the players quietly questioning every move and substitution… that’s just a sidelight.

Most pointedly, according to several NBA sources with close ties to both the Warriors and Ellis, the most recent flare-up started last summer, before the draft.

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That’s when Riley and Nelson flew out to Memphis to meet with Ellis and (NEW INFO) led him to believe that they would probably trade their No. 1 pick for an established big man.

I’m told Nelson did not speak much during the dinner with Ellis. But Riley told Ellis forcefully that another No. 1 pick rookie probably wouldn’t contribute much to the upcoming season and that the Warriors had a few things brewing to acquire an established frontcourt player.

Someone like Amare Stoudemire, I presume.

(This also is a version of a conversation I believe Robert Rowell had when he took Stephen Jackson and Ellis out to dinner near the end of last season, when Rowell apparently told them that the Warriors were likely to add a major player to place alongside the two of them.)

As previously reported, Riley also told Ellis that the team believed Ellis was the backcourt centerpiece and franchise player, period, which Ellis interpreted to mean that they would definitely not be drafting any guard to usurp that role.

What Ellis and Jackson wanted–and said publicly–was a veteran big man to score on the low post. They believed that if the Warriors got that, they could be a playoff team and maybe a dangerous one.

So… The Warriors on draft night ended up coming very close to trading for Stoudemire–EXACTLY who Jackson and Ellis wanted–but the deal never happened.

Reportedly, Nelson was surprised Curry lasted to their 7th pick and refused to include Curry to Phoenix in the deal. I think that’s only part of the reason the deal fell through (Amare’s strong lack of desire to play for the Warriors probably was a bigger reason), but it definitely perked the ears of Ellis and Jackson.

This did not please Ellis. Or Jackson. We’re seeing the results.

The Warriors couldn’t do much about Jackson. Still can’t. He’s beyond their reach.

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Jackson confirmed on media day that his trade request was triggered, in large part, by the Warriors’ non-trade on draft day. Both he and Ellis wanted Stoudemire and can’t believe Nelson potentially blocked the deal by refusing to put Curry into it.

But more on Ellis’ point of view…

NEW INFO: Multiple sources have confirmed that a week or so before training camp started, Riley took another trip out to Memphis to meet with Ellis, and this time Riley took new special assistant Calbert Cheaney with him.

(No Don Nelson. Probably a good thing. In the meantime, the Warriors acquired Acie Law, whom Ellis knows was Nelson’s target when he wanted to trade Ellis a few years ago.)

At this meeting, according to the sources, Ellis flatly said he felt Warriors management had misled him about trading the No. 1 pick. He said he had no ill will towards Curry, but that he agreed that a rookie wouldn’t help this team immediately get to the playoffs, so what happened?

It was also brought up at this point that Ellis knew teams were calling the Warriors seeking to trade for Ellis.

I’m told this meeting ended without a resolution, though you have to give Riley credit for his multiple efforts to keep things calm with Ellis. Even if they didn’t work or actually ended up making things a little worse.

That’s what led to Ellis’ media day declaration that he couldn’t play with Curry because they were too small to formulate a true NBA backcourt.

Ellis wants to be the playmaker, paired with a shooter who can defend bigger 2 guards, and he wanted a low-post scorer to balance it out.

That’s what’s causing many around the Warriors to note that Nelson surprisingly started Ellis alongside Kelenna Azubuike in the first exhibition game–and NOT sweet-shooting Anthony Morrow, whom Nelson paired with… Curry.

Ellis has not asked to be traded, I’m told. He’s playing hard and playing well in camp so far, according to the Warriors themselves, and if the Warriors start winning early in the regular season, everything might turn out fine.

But there are issues. I doubt Ellis would be upset if a trade popped up on the radar, especially if it involved a proven playoff team, with a front office that he believes is talking straight with him and a coach he can trust.

Also – the main point. Us who regularly read this blog might be calling for Monta’s head, but the average casual fan still thinks of Monta as our best player and fan favorite. His “I can’t play with Curry” didn’t really make waves outside of hardcore basketball fans.

Also quit droppin preseason game 1 stats as if they mean anything. Yeah Monta didn’t play great, but if you actually were at the game you noticed that Monta was the only player who penetrated straight to the hoop within the set offense (other than Maggette’s typical bull rush and wild flailing of the head to draw a foul).

The point is Monta is fast. We used to love Monta and his speed, his shooting over 60% for A FULL MONTH…unheard of for a guard.

Let’s keep perspective. We’ll have a hard enough time winning with our current team, losing a proven scorer isn’t going to help matters.

DW

What no comments from Feltbot??

Perspective

A blog sponsored by a newspaper should allow the expression of all points of view absent profanity or personal threats. Accordingly, the ban on feltbot should be lifted and an explanation offered as to why it was imposed in the first place.

http://www.animalhiphop.com Animal

Maybe Chris Cohan was right, and Feltbot = Warriors PR?

Conspiracy theories everywhere.

TheCity

Thanks TK. And keep up with your posts like this, no matter what the Warriors’s front-office-plants type in their petulant little posts.

I yearn for the day when instead of hiring fake-commenters to do damage control on blogs, instead the Warriors front office actually makes good moves that will make the fans proud.

Instead of doing good, or owning up to it when they do bad, instead their number one priority is to influence and control the media, and try to cajole them into calling a s**t sandwich, delicious.

Stanley Tweedle

Tim, you keep recycling the same essential story over and over again. With faux shocking new revelations. Most everything you’ve said here was already known or reasonably inferred from what has already been reported. The only “new” info is that Riley made a second trip. OMG! Shock! Horror! Management wants to ensure their star player is on board, particularly after the fallout from the moped incident. Is that so surprising – 1 or 2 trips makes little difference.

You are the Sid Hudgens of sports reporting. You cast players and organization officials as characters in a soap opera with villains and wronged “heroes”. More a poison pen gossip columnist than a sports writer. Never mind that the dubs played a pre-season game, why report on actually team and individual performances, combinations, and strategies when you can amp up stale old sensationalism? You should finish each piece with “off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush” 😉

Kshaq

Mr. Kawakami. You are an amazing journalist. It seems kind of awkward to say this on your blog, but I don’t care I’ll say it: you are one hell of a journalist. The Bay Area is lucky to have you. Who else has the inside sources and confidence to report this kind of info.

CURSE OF MULLIN

TK, I’ve been a staunch supporter of yours and the importance of your blog. You are one of the few reporters who digs and isn’t afraid to tells us what you find and what you think. If it turns out you are wrong a small percentage of the time, I am willing to live with it bc we cherish all the accurate info we get here and nowhere else.

All of this is a longwinded way of saying the following: if in fact you have blocked feltbot’s posts, that censorship would undermine the very principles that I find appealing in your blog and posts. Feltbot can be annoying as all get out, but freedom of expression is a beautiful thing in this country, and he is of course entitled to express his opinion just like you and everyone else. I assume there is some rational explanation for feltbot’s posts not getting posted today. Please provide it at your convenience.

Stan-the REAL Stan..

Yeah, StanTweede isnt a plant..he takes Tim’s Warrior critique personal because he has a jones for Bob Fitzgerald.
The team hasnt won a dam thing in almost 35 years,and he wonders why Kawakami doesnt beleive the franchise lies?…..

Son of Ahmed

I doubt feltbot is being censured. I visited his blog and read his rant on TK. Is it any different than the anti-TK posts that appear here 50% of the time? Not really. Dissent has been the fabric of this blog. Censuring feltbot would be completely inconsistent with how this blog has been run up to now.

But if feltbot is being censured, that is disappointing…and wrong.

Perspective, Curse of Mullin, and I are not exactly kindred spirits with feltbot. But we’d hate to see a good discussion stifled. Besides, we enjoy giving felty a good ol’ fashioned rhetorical ass whoopin’ from time to time.

BringBackTheJanitor

Makes sense, Amare w/Shaq and Nash didnt make the playoffs…why would he help a team that plays LESS defense.

Straight Shooter

After signing a rich, long-term deal, Monta completely screwed over the Warrior’s season with a stupid accident that he still won’t even disclose. And now he’s complaining about personnel moves! My advice: grow up and learn some leadership. If the team still stinks in a few years after you’ve earned your paycheck for a bit then you can complain.

As for Jackson, shame on him for taking the long-term money and then pulling this monkey business. He needs to go to leadership camp as well.

Get me team guys who play hard although I confess to be a sucker like others for true talents – like a pre-injury Monta gliding to the hoop.

BillyB

So any actual Warriors news TK? Who’s looking good in practice? Able to get any interviews with the players? Any trade rumors?

It’s weird how many of your ass-kissers appeared in the comments today? Are these Mercury News shills? Check the IP addresses TK, I think they’re coming from inside your home. There’s no way #54 Kshaq was actually written by a real person.

feltbot

TK has reinstated me. Thanks to the posters who voiced their support for me.

Flunkster de Dude

Feltbot is more corrupt than any of the people TK has ever written about. Damn I guess I’m getting blocked from Feltbot’s blog, which would be great, because I should never try to read that pointless scheiße again in my life.

fillmoe mike

Why would you trade monta ellis?

he is still one of the quickest players in the league and like jim barnett says you can’t teach that….he’s not just a scorer but he’s a effiecient scorer at that….you guys are trippn if you think trading one of the best players in the league under 24 ould improve your team…..think about the morale of the team after that????the warrior players like “they just traded away monta ellis for carlos boozer?” yeah right that makes is better????you guys obviously don’t know a ball player when you see one….because monta ellis is a ball player……..just think when has he ever got thrown out of a game…

danidel

nice post really got down in to the dirty over whats going on!

i agree with ellis and jackson they’re both cornerstones of the franchise and being misled..

this is starting to turn into a knicks isaiah saga.

http://ihatemydvr.blogspot.com/ Bigmouth

I’m with enonymous…it’s not over but fascinating nonetheless

http://ihatemydvr.blogspot.com/ Bigmouth

Two words: Jim Zorn.

http://www.JamesLull.com James Online

There’s a really cool new blog for long-winded kool aid drinkers and TK haters. You guys won’t ever have to post here or on Adam’s blog again! New blog info mentioned above. Enjoy!

CrustyRim

So I just moved to Denver from the Bay.

During the Broncos off-season the media was all over Josh McDaniels and Broncos ownership.

“what are they doing??” “No one runs an orginization this poorly!!!” “who is really running the team? the coach or the owner?”

Now look at them. 4-0 with every nay-sayer kissin their rear.

Just because you heard rumors Monta is unhappy, just because you think Don Nelson is some evil master mind or incompetent poop does not mean much, Only loosing makes you look correct. if they start winning everyone will forget any conspiracies you made up in the summer time.

Why dont you do a few full stories on how reliable Andris is? how much Ronnie helps out in communities?

But you won’t, and why would you. If you are right 1% of the time you look like a genius, everyone just forgets about the other 99%.

Sir Olove

Tim- I love your writing, the eomtional whims of millionare juvenilles, and the gasps of of overpaid, over rated, wind bags like Stack Jack, really make my coffe break worth while.

What’s up Tim? Couldn’t hack it at TMZ? Got fired from the mail room at The View? When people ask you what you do at cocktail parties, what do you say? Do people even talk to you at cocktail parties beyond : “Who invited you!?”

Stack Jack is crying because…sshhh…Morrow and Azibuke…are…BETTER!

Jack is sad becuase we didn’t ship out any of the young pups to secure his ball hogging 35 minutes per game.

I’m rolling with Papa Don, RR can suck it for signing Jack, Monta can go the Bulls for Noah or something like that.

Meanwhile I’ll keep reading, when I’m not following Jon & Kate.

Jeremy

Ellis & Jackson need to get packaged to New Orleans for Chris Paul. That franchise needs to save money, but they can’t keep attendance if they go into rebuild mode. Dealing for Ellis & Jackson could help them save money while continuing to be competitive and bring in two hometown kids.

Only thing the Warriors are missing is a lock down wing defender. The Hornets are losing a premier player in Paul, but taking a shot that Monta is a superstar and saving $21M.

Oj mayo

I think I’m inagreement with most peopleon the blog in thinking on this one, management hasn’t done anything wrong. AS would have been just another me-first, no defense malcontent who mightve bolted after a year anyways. Who cares about what jax and monta thought. There only concern oughta be how they can best help the team win. The dubs should bring in Sing from across the bay to give the team a pants dropping, motivational, team first motivational speech

JJ

Dude…can we trade SJAX & Claxton for BOOZER already?? he should be available, Milsap won’t wanna play backup PF for too long.